Automatic car-fender and sweeper.



NOA. 729,543.

PATENTBD JUNE 2, 1903. l ,0. P. GATHGART.. AUTOMATIC GAR BENDBR, AND SWEEPER.

APPLICATION .FILED JULY 14, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903.

C.V P". GATHGART. AUTOMATIG'GAR FENDER AND SWBEPER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

JAM

No. 729,543. A P AT'ENTEDAJ-UNEZ, 1903.

C. P. GATHGART.

AUTOMATIC GAR FENDER AND SW1-IEPER. APPLIUATIO'N FILED JULY 14.1902.

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No. 729,543. D V PATBNTED JUN; 2,1903.

` .GATHGA AUTOMATIC FENDER A PBR. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1 R0 MODEL 4 SHEETS-'SHEET 4.

JM Arm/ mfr VIC) JP-ATENT.

FFICE.

CHARLES P. CATHCART, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

yAUTOMATIC CAR-FEND'EaAND s'w-EEP'ER."

SIEECIIEI(TCIION forming part of Letters PateiltNo. 729,543, dated June 2, 1903.

i Application filed July 14, 1902.` Serial No. 115,48()vl (No model.)

com panying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic car-fenders and sweepers.

The object of-my invention is to provide a car-fender with a rotatable guard which when rotated will cause an object on the track to be rolled or brushed off the track. Y

My invention provides, further, means by which the rotatable guard may be rotated by means of mechanism connecting the guard with the car wheel or axle.

My invention provides, further, a guard normally held in an elevated position above the track combined with means by. which the guard may be lowered and caused to rotate.

My invention provides .means by which the lowering and rotation of the guard may be accomplished by the ob; ect on the track striking against a portion. of the mechanism.

My invention provides, further, a supplemental fender adapted to be struck by an' ob-v -ject on the track "andycom'bined' with means".

by which whenthe'supplem'ental fender is so struck will `cause the guardl'to lowerand ro tate, thus brushing the object forwardly and.,

off the trak.-

to be started or stopped'.

My invention provid-es, further, a rotatable brush-guard which can' be utilized, if desired, for sweeping purposes.

My invention provides othernovel featureshereinafter fully described and claimed.

While myinvention is particularly adapted for use on street-cars,-it will be obvious that it may housed on auto-mobilesor other-vehicles. L

y In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention as applied to a street-car, Figure l is a top view showing my invention applied to a street-car, a portion of one of the trucks heilig shown. Fig. 2 is an elevation View taken in the direction indicated by the similar to Fig. 2, the guard being shown lowered. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the dotted line a h of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a Patenten June 2, 1903.

larrow .in Fig. 1. In-'thsstigurethe guard is 55 shown inthe raised position. Fig. 3 is a view plan view of the clutch-operating mechanism, 6o

the clutch being shown in the closed position.

`Fig.l 6 is alhorizontal sectional View taken on :the dotted line c'd-of Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a verltical sectional Aview of a portion of the rod 43.

Fig'. 8 is an end elevation view of the supple- 65x mental fender,the rock-shaft crank, and parts connecting the two. Inthis view the supplemental fender is shown in the raised position. Fig. 9 is a View similar to Fig. S, the supplemental fender being shown in the lower posi- 7p tion, Fig. 10 `is a vertical sectional view of one ofthe end brushes and parts connected Similarnumerals of referenceindicate similar parts.

1 indicates a portion of the car-truck. To

this is secured the framework of the fender,

.comprising the following parts: 2 indicates a horizontal rod disposed transversely across the car and secured at one end to the under 8o fsideof the car truck'or frame 1 and at the 'other vend tol a cast block 3,"to' which is also secured jahorizontalrod 4, disposed obliquely 'to'the'rod 2 and supporting at its rear end-'a yoke 5,' in which is mounted on a transverse 85 `rotatable shaft 6, to which itis secured, a

My invention-provides means, further, by; which the operator of 'thecar-can'cause the guard to`be raisedloi' lowered and' also 'byA which he can cause the rotation4 of' the guard" bevel gear-wheel 7,whichrmeshes with a larger A horizontal rod 12, disposed at right angles to the rod 4 and extending transversely across the track at an oblique angle, is secured at one end to the housing lOland'atthe other-95 end to a similar housing, which in turn is secured rigidly to the forward end of ahorizontal rod A14, disposed at right angles to the rod 2 and secured at its rear end to the frame 1.

Blocks 15 are secured to'the rod 12 between 10o the rods 14 and 4. Stay-rods 16 are secured at their forward ends to the blocks l5 and at their rear ends'to the rod 2.

The rotatable guard comprises, preferably,

a horizontal drum 17, disposed under and parallel with the rod 12, the drum beingprovided with a number of radial bristles or wooden slivers arranged around its periphery and indicated by 18. The drum 17 is mounted on a rotatable horizontal shaft 19, the ends of which are rotatably mounted in boxings 20, from the upper side of each of which extend two vertical parallel rods 2l, which are mounted in the vertical openings in the arms 11 of the housings 10 and in which the rods 2l are vertically movable. Each end of the shaft 19 is provided outside the boxings 20 with a rectangular dovetailed portion 22, adapted each to be inserted in a correspondingly-shaped groove in the core of the supplemental brush, which is provided around its periphery with bristles disposed similarly to those on the drum 17. The bristles ou the outer end of the core 23 are preferably inclined outward beyond the end of the core, so as to extend the area swept as widely as possible. the shaft 19 by a bolt 24, located in a transverse h'ole provided in the inner end of the core 23 and in alinement with a transverse groove 25, provided in the outer end of each end of the shaft 19. A rock-shaft 26, parallel to the rod l2 and to the rear thereof, is rotatably mounted at its ends in the housings 10 and is provided outside the said housings at each end with a crank-arm 27. To the outer end of each crank-arm 27 is pivotally secu red the upper end of a connecting-rod 28, the lower end of each of which is pivotally secured to the adjacent boxing 20. By rocking the shaft 26 the drum 17 may be raised and lowered. Secured to the bracket 29, mounted on a crank-arm 37, is a pivoted pawl 30, the outer end of which is adapted to engage a projection 31, rigidly secured upon a block 32, which is rotatable upon the rod 12. Upon the rod 12 are also rotatably mounted two other blocks 33 and 34, to which and to the block 32 is secured the supplemental fender 35, preferably rectangular in shape and provided with netting 36. The crank-arm 37 is secured at its upper end to the rock-shaft 26. Its lower end is bifurcated and provided with transverse holes in which is secured a bolt 38, to which is pivoted the rear end of a yoke 39, the forward end of which is provided with a central hole in which is longitudinally movable the rear end of a rod 40, the forward end of which is pivotally secured to the supplemental fender-frame 35. The rear end of the rod 40 is provided with a transverse hole in which is secured inside the end of the yoke 39 a pin 41, which holds the rod connected with the yoke. Between the rod 40 and the pin or bolt 3S is a compression-spring 42, the tension of which tends to force the rod 40, together with the fender-frame 35, forward. To the bolt 38 is also pivoted the forward end of a rearwardly-extending rod 43, the rear end of which is pivoted to a bell-crank lever 44, rigidly secured upon the lower end of a The cores 23 are each secured tov rotatable Vertical operating shaft 45, the lower end of which is pivotally mounted in a horizontal forwardly-extending bracket 46, secured upon the rod 2. The upper end of the shaft 45 is provided with a crank-arm 47 and is rotatably mounted in a hearing 48, secured upon the top of the car-frame l. The other end of the bell-crank lever 44 is connected by a link 49 to the forward end of a horizontal lever 50, which is pivotally secured to a rearwardly-extending horizontal bracket 5l, rigidly secured upon the rod 2. rIhe rear end of the lever 50 is bifurcated, the arms thereof heilig provided with a vertical hole each, in which are pivotally fitted projections 52, provided on a vertically-disposed ring 53, rotatably mounted in a groove provided in the periphery of one end of a clutch 54. The clutch 54 is longitudinally movable on the axle 9 and is prevented from rotating thereon by means of a feather 55, tted in longitudinal grooves provided one each in the axle 9 and clutch 54. The other end of the clutch 44is provided withaplurality of end ratchet-teeth 56, adapted to engage teeth 57, provided on the innerend of the hub of the gear-wheel 8. The drum 17 is provided with a sprocket-wheel 58, rotatable therewith and connected by a chain belt 59 with a larger sprocket-wheel 60, which is secured upon and rotatable with the shaft 6, to which at the other end is secured the bevel gearwheel 7. The operator of the carcan cause rotation of the drum 17 by rotating the vertical shaft 45 in the proper' direction, thus causing movement of the bell-crank lever 44 and causing the clutch 54 to engage with the teeth 57 through the intermediacy of the link 49, lever 50, and ring 53. The ring 53 is composed of separable halves connected to each other by the bolts 6l. By rotating the shaft 45 in the other direction the operator may, through the same mechanism just described, cause the clutch 54 to be moved lengthwise on the axle 9 in the opposite direction, thus withdrawing the clutchteeth 56 from engagement with the teeth 57 on the gear-wheel 8. The operator may cause the drum 17 to be lifted to the higher position (shown in Fig. 2) by rotating the shaft 45 in a direction that the bell-crank lever 44 will force the rod 43 forward, thus rocking the rock-shaft 26 by means of the crank-arm 37 and raising the drum through the intermediacy of the crank-arms 27, connecting arms or rods 28, and boxings 20. By rotating the operating-shaft 45 in the opposite direction the rotatable guard, including the drum 17, may be lowered through the intervention of the same mechanism.

The mechanism may be automatically operated as follows: An object on the track will first be struck, when the car is moving forward, by the supplemental fender-frame 35, causing the said fender-frame to be swung on the rod 12 in a rearward and downward direction, thus forcing the rock-shaft 2G at IOL) IIO

be seen that the resilient or yielding connec-l tion between the crank-arm 37 and the supplelnentalfender-framegcomprisingthespring 42 and rod 40, permits the releasing of the projection 3l from the pawl 30. After the pawl 30 has been released, the rock-shaft 26 is free to move in the opposite direction, and

the rotatable guard, comprising the drum 17 and the bristles thereon, will be permitted to fall by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 3. At the same time the said guard is falling its weight will force the rock-shaft to continue 1 turning and through the intervention of the mechanism already described will cause the clutch54 to engage with the gear-wheel 8 by means of the teethb and 57. As the clutch 54 is rotating with vthe axle 9 the rotation of the axle willbe imparted through the clutch f to the gear-wheel 8, and through the gearing already described theA rotation of the gearwheel 8 will be imparted-to the guard, causing the guardto rotate in a direction such that its-under side will move forwardly, and thus brush the object which has struck the supplemental fender 35 off the track. The positions of the crank-arms 27 and connectingrods 2S whenv the drum is in the position shown in Fig. 3 will prevent the drum 17 from being raised, and the object on the track cannot be crowded under the rotating drum. The operator, as already described, may then replace the supplemental fender and the dru n1 to the raised positions and release the clutch from the gear 8 by rotating the operating-shaft 45 in the properdirection. By so rotating the operating-shaft r45 as to lower the drum 17 the brush may be used for sweeping the track clear of dirt or snow, the rotation of the axle 9 providing the power for rotating the same. A supplemental brush, such as is shown in Fig. 9, may be applied to one end of the shaft 19, or two may be used, one at each end of the shaft. These supplemental brushes will sweep the road-bed at a distance outside the track at each side. By having the end bristles or wisps extend beyond the outer end of the core the space between two tracks may be swept clean without danger of the cores mounted on two cars going in opposite directions coming in contact with each other.

The apparatus comprising my invention may be mounted on any desirable style of vehicle for use in sweeping sidewalks or streets not provided with tracks.

Many modifications of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit of Vmy invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-fender, the combination with a suitable support, of a rotatable guard movable upward and downward thereon, means for rotating the guard, a rock-shaft, means connected therewith for moving the guard upward or downward when the shaft is rocked, releasable locking means for preventing rocking of the shaft, and means for controlling the operation of said locking means, substantiall51 as described. y

2. In a car-fender, the combination with a suitable support, of a rotatable guard movable upward and downward thereon, meansfor rotating the guard, a rock-shaft, means connected therewith for moving the guard upward or downward when the shaft is rocked, releasable locking means for preventing the rocking of the shaft, and means actuated by striking an object for releasing the locking means, substantially as described.

3. In a car-fender, the combination with a suitable support, of a rotatablev guard movable upward and downward thereon, gearing for im parting rotation to the guard, a releasable clutch for imparting movement to the said gearing, a rock-shaft, means actuated thereby for controlling the upward and downward movement of the guard, and means for operating the said clutch when the rock-,shaft is rocked, substantially as described.

4. In a car-fender, the combination with a vsuitable support, of a rotatable guard movable upward and downward thereon, means for rotating the said guard, a rock-shaft, means connected therewith for controlling the upward and downward movement of the guard, a supplemental fender, and releasable means controlled by the movement of the supplemental fender for preventing rocking of the rock-shaft, substantially as described.

5. In a car-fender, the combination with a suitable support, of a rotatable guard movable upward and downward thereon, gearing for imparting rotation to the guard, a clutch for controlling movement of the gearing, a rock-shaft, means connected therewith for controlling the upward and downward movement of the guard, a supplemental fender, means by which movementof the supplemental fender controls the rocking of the rockshaft, and means actuated by the rocking of the rock-shaft for operating the said clutch, substantially as'described.

6. In a car-fender, the combination with a rock-shaft, of a pawl pivotally mounted thereon, a pivotally-mounted fender provided with a projection adapted to be engaged by the said pawl, a crank-arm on the rock-shaft, and a resilient connecting mechanism between the said crank-arm and the fender, substantially as described.

7. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable shaft, of a brush mounted thereon, a supplemental detachable brush, and means ICO IlO

for securing the said supplemental brush to the end of the said shaft, substantially as described.

8. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable shaf t, of a supplemental brush provided with a central core, and means for securing the said core to one end of the said shaft the axis of the core being located in line with the axis of the shaft, substantially as described.

9. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable shaft provided at one end with a transverse dovetailed portion having a transverse groove in the end thereof, of a brush provided with a central core one end of which is provided with a transverse groove fitted to the dovetailed portion of the said shaft and having a transverse hole through the said end in alinement with the groove in the end of the shaft, and a bolt for locking the core to the rshaft and located in the said transverse hole in the core and also in the groove in the end of the shaft, substantially as described.

l0. In a car-fender, the combination with a suitable support, of a rotatable guard movable upward and downward thereon, a rockshaft, means for moving the said guard up or down when the rock-shaft is rocked, means for rotating the guard, and means actuated by the operator of the car for rocking the rockshaft and controlling the means for rotating the guard, substantially as described.

11. In a car-fender, the combination with a rotatable guard, of a support on which the guard is movable upward and downward, means for rotating the guard operative when the guard is in the lower position, a rockshaft, means by which the guard is moved upward or downward when the rock-shaft is properly rocked, a pawl carriedby the rockshaft, a supplemental fender, and means for engaging tbe pawl with the supplemental fender for retaining the rock-shaft in a desired position, substantially as described.

12. In a car-fender, the combination with a suitable support, of a rotatable guard mounted thereon, a rock-shaft, means for moving the guard upward or downward on the said support when the rock-shaft is rocked, gearing for imparting rotation to the said guard, a rotatable releasable clutch adapted when engaged with the said gearing to drive the same, and means by which the operator of the car may cause the clutch to engage the gearing and cause the rocking of the rockshaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES P. CATI'ICART.

Witnesses:

WARREN D. HOUSE, G. W. DUvALL. 

